1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the structure, method of fabrication and uses of heat transfer panels with prefabricated main panel bodies and reinforced manifold conduits. It is related in general to heat transfer equipment and is particularly related to enclosed double plate heat transfer panels. A panel is used to conduct a gas-liquid interaction in an internal fluid or fluids inside the panel and to have heat interaction with an external fluid that undergoes a complementary operation. The fluid(s) inside may undergo vaporization, condensation, gas absorption, gas desorption, exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions and simple fluid heating and cooling; the fluid outside may undergo vaporization, condensation, desublimation, gas absorption, gas desorption, exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions and simple fluid heating and cooling. The present invention is therefore generally related to gas-liquid interactions and associated heat transfer operations.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are two major types of enclosed double plate heat transfer panels commercially available. These are (a) inflated double plate panels and (b) stamped double plate panels.
An inflated double plate panel is made by placing two rectangular sheets of metal together, welding the two sheets together by spot welding in some staggered pattern, seam welding the four edges to form an assembly, providing an opening and inflating the assembly to form multitudes of pillows. Internal manifold conduits are provided for feeding and discharge by properly arranging the welding pattern. Companies in the U.S. that manufacture inflated heat transfer panels are Mueller Co. in Springfield, Mo., Turbo in Denton, Tex., and Rosenblad in Princeton, N.J.
A stamped enclosed double plate heat transfer panel is made from two sheets of metal, A-sheet and B-sheet. At least one sheet, say A-sheet, is stamped by a large hydraulic press to form an array of strips of high and low regions. The entire sheet is either formed in a single operation or in a few operations by using a set of rather big stamping dies. The stamped plate is also provided with formed edges. When the two sheets are welded together, a unitary assembly with strips of welds, a set of processing conduits are two internal manifold conduits is formed. The internal manifold conduits are made from the two sheets of metal by proper edge forming and proper welding operations. Companies in the United States of America that produce stamped enclosed heat transfer panels are Tranter Co. of Wichita Falls, Tex., Dean Products, Inc. of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Entex, Inc. of Iowa Park, Tex..
Some key features of conventional heat transfer panels are summarized as follows:
(1) There is no conventional panel that provide means for applying liquid film on the inside surface of the panel. PA1 (2) There is no conventional panel that has textures on the inside surface to enhance wettability and drainage and thereby enhance heat and mass transfer rates. PA1 (3) There are inherent weak spots near the intersections of manifold conduits and processing conduits. PA1 (1) A PRE-FAB panel may comprise a prefabricated main panel body, a reinforced feed manifold conduit and a reinforced discharge manifold conduit. The main body has an array of alternately contact strips and a multitude of processing conduits. The reinforced manifold conduits may either be reinforced internal conduits or strong external conduits. PA1 (2) Means of applying liquid may be provided to apply a liquid film on the inside surface of each processing conduit of the main panel body. PA1 (3) When a panel is used with applied liquid film, the inner surface of each processing conduit may be textured in one of many ways to improve wettability, and to provide mini-agitation to thereby improve heat and mass transfer rates. PA1 (4) When the interaction in a PRE-FAB panel generates a liquid film, such as in a condensation operation, the inner surface of each processing conduit may be fluted to enhance draining of the liquid and thereby improve the heat and mass transfer rates. PA1 (5) A pre-fabricated main panel body may be used to form a jacketed vessel. A manufacturer may supply prefabricated main panel bodies to local fabricators which transform them into jacketed vessels.